Four Elementals
by Lionella
Summary: Arthur and Merlin have four encounters with the four elements. Canon compliant.
1. Water

**Water**

Merlin watched Arthur as he paced back and forth. "How could I have been so bloody blind!" he shouted. Merlin wisely kept silent as his Prince stalked around the stone room. They had been hunting in the woods when Arthur had thought he had seen a white stag. They had followed it, only to find Morgause's men lying in wait for them. When they had woken up, they had found themselves in a dark dungeon.

A sudden noise at the door made them jump. They looked towards it, readying themselves as two armed men with their swords drawn entered, followed by Morgause. She had a triumphant smile on her face as she gazed at her captives, as a spider would a fly.

"Welcome my dear Prince. I do hope you have enjoyed your stay here so far."

"What do you want Morgause?" Arthur growled.

"Everything. But first, I would like a little information from you."

"I won't tell you anything, witch," he said defiantly.

Her smile spread, "I was hoping you would say that Arthur." She turned around and called out the door, "Bring her in."

They stared as two more men entered the room, they dragged a third figure between them. They dropped her over by the far wall before returning to stand behind Morgause.

"Who is that?" asked Arthur.

"Someone who is going to give me all of your secrets," Morgause said. "I will check back tomorrow to see if you have been more talkative." The door slammed behind her.

Arthur and Merlin exchanged a look before they turned their attention to the new addition to their cell. The slight girl appeared to be asleep, her pale hair spread about her. Merlin thought it must have been the poor light in the room that gave her hair it's greenish tinge. Arthur beckoned Merlin over to the other side of the cell and whispered in his ear. "Be careful what you say around her, we don't want Morgause to find out anything at all." Merlin nodded and they both sat down to think of a way to escape.

…

Time passed, but it was hard to tell how much. Their room had no windows except for a barred hole in the door, the only light came from the torches in the corridor beyond it. A rattling of keys alerted the young men to the guards entering the room. They hurried to their feet as armed men entered once more. Morgause wasn't with them this time, instead a burly guard with a nasty grin walked slowly in. He carried a tray with two cups and two bowls. He placed in front of Arthur with a bow, "Only the best for his Highness," he said mockingly.

"What are you waiting for?" asked Arthur when none of the men gave any inclination to leaving the room.

"Oh believe me, I have better things to do then to watch two prisoners eat their supper. But orders are orders."

"Why? Afraid we'll escape using our food as a cunning weapon?" said Merlin sarcastically.

They laughed at him. "Don't you worry about escaping here, it's impossible," said the burly one. "We're under orders to make sure that only you two eat, we've got to make sure you don't share it with your new friend here." He indicated the girl. She had woken with the commotion and was watching it all with guarded eyes.

"What will happen if we did give her some?" asked Arthur.

The burly man grinned evilly, "Let's just say that you wouldn't like what happened very much. Now eat up, if you don't hurry I'll take it away and you can just go hungry."

Merlin reached out and handed Arthur a cup and a bowl before taking his own. They hastily gulped down the thin gruel and the water. As soon as they were finished, their things were snatched away and they were left alone again.

The girl sat up slowly, keeping a watchful eye on the two young men. Merlin and Arthur returned her stares, readying themselves in case she attacked them now. When she only shifted into a more comfortable position against the wall, they relaxed a little.

Arthur broke the silence. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

The girl gave him a hostile glare, "Why do you want to know?"

Arthur was taken aback, "Morgause said you were going to get information from us. Forgive me, but I would like to know exactly how you plan to do that."

"If you don't want her knowing everything, then you shouldn't be talking to me."

"Why?"

"Just take my advice, don't touch me, don't talk to me, don't even look at me, and you'll be fine." She turned away from them as Arthur shot Merlin a bemused look. Silence settled in the room again.

…

The door opening startled them into wakefulness. Morgause and her guards entered, she came over to stand in front of Arthur. "Did you have a pleasant night your Highness? I hope my dear Fiara was very, friendly, towards you."

Arthur said nothing, he just stared steadily into her eyes. She smirked and walked over to the girl, who glared up at Morgause.

"Well Fiara? What have you got for me?"

"She didn't learn anything from us Morgause, you don't need to waste your time," said Arthur.

Morgause looked at him scornfully. "You should learn not to speak about things you don't understand my Prince. Fiara here doesn't need you to talk, she knows everything you've been thinking." Arthur blanched as Morgause crouched down and laid a hand on Fiara's flinching cheek, speaking the words of a spell.

Merlin held his breath as Morgause stood as still as a statue for what seemed like an age. He tried not to think about his secret, if she learnt what he was now then it would all be over.

"Stupid girl!" snapped Morgause as she slapped the girl. "I don't care about useless escape plans!"

Merlin was relieved, obviously she hadn't found out the truth. He looked on as Morgause beckoned to the guards; they came and roughly hauled Fiara out of the room. Morgause followed them out with out a glance to her other captives. The door slammed closed.

Before Merlin could comment, Arthur held up a hand, "Not now Merlin. We need to think of a way to get out of here and fast before they come back." They talked in hushed tones, but they could think of nothing remotely plausible. They had fallen into hopeless silence, each desperately trying to think of something when Morgause returned. The guards tossed Fiara into the cell and Morgause murmured a spell that held the girl up against the stone wall. Her face was badly bruised, she winced as she was pushed against the unforgiving surface.

"You will do things properly this time," ordered Morgause. She murmured something that the men couldn't make out and her eyes glowed briefly. Morgause turned towards Arthur and Fiara slid down the wall to collapse on the ground. "Don't think you'll be so lucky again Arthur," hissed Morgause, "there's no escaping it this time. I've made sure that she will get every single thing you know from you and then you will die, slowly and painfully. Be sure of that your Highness." She stalked out of the room.

Merlin went to stand but Arthur pulled him back down. "Are you crazy? She could kill you!" he whispered.

"She needs help Arthur! If she wanted to hurt us she would have already."

"She's working for Morgause, you have no idea what she could do."

"No, Morgause is forcing her to do her dirty work, she doesn't have a choice."

"Exactly. No matter what you do for her, she will still have to be our enemy. Anyway, she must be a witch if she can read minds, we can't trust her."

"Listen to him Merlin," the girl said, her voice raw. "It would be better if you didn't come near me, I might not be able to stop myself."

"See?" said Arthur. Merlin scowled at him as he settled back against the wall. There was a moment of quiet before Merlin spoke again. "What does Morgause want you to do?"

"She wants me to look into your memories and learn if there are any ways into your castle." She avoided their gaze. "Please, don't talk to me any more, the more you talk, the more I can see."

"Isn't there something we can do?" asked Merlin.

"Just, leave me alone," she said with a shiver. Merlin stood up and went to hand her his jacket but she backed away from him frantically. "No, stay away, stay away!" she shrieked.

He stopped, puzzled. "I'm not going to hurt you, I promise."

She shuddered. Her arm moved as if to reach out to him before she tore it back. They heard her muttering to herself, "No, don't do it, you can't do it, she'll win, don't do it."

"What's wrong?" asked Arthur.

"If you touch me, I'll know everything," she said, teeth gritted. "That's what Morgause ordered me to do, so please, stay away." She crawled over to the furthest corner and turned away from them.

Merlin sat back down with Arthur and they watched her carefully as the time went by. The shudders got worse, it looked like she was fighting off an invisible enemy as she struggled against herself. Eventually, she shakily got to her feet and glared across at them. They quickly got to their feet and moved away as she came towards them.

Her eyes were bloodshot, she stared at them crazily. "I'm sorry, I can't stop it," she whispered. She lunged at Arthur, he dodged out of the way but she quickly turned and came at him again, arms reaching, fingers clawing at the air.

She cornered them and approached swiftly. Merlin didn't stop to think, he pushed Arthur out of the way as she made a wild grab. Her hand touched his wrist and he felt like something had sucked his brain out of his ear. He lurched and crashed into the wall before his knees buckled. Fiara stood there, shocked before her hands came up to her mouth. She backed away from them, eyes wide as she stared at Merlin.

"Merlin!" shouted Arthur. He rushed to Merlin's side, "Are you alright? What did she do?"

Merlin's head buzzed as he sat up. "I'm fine, I think, I'm not sure," he slurred.

Fiara shrank back as Arthur glared at her, "Are you going to do the same to me now witch?"

She shook her head frantically, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't want to!"

"It doesn't matter if you wanted to or not! What have you found out? What are you going to tell Morgause? How to get into Camelot? How to destroy my father's kingdom?"

She held her head in her hands, "Please, I don't want to, please don't hurt me, it's stopped now."

He glared at her again before turning his attention back to Merlin. "I owe you for that Merlin, at least you don't have any secrets in that head of yours that could bring down the kingdom.

Merlin tried to smile, but he couldn't. He looked over at Fiara, she stared back at him with a horrified expression before hanging her head. His stomach sank, she knew everything. Once Morgause came back, his secret would be out, they would all know that he was a sorcerer.

Keys jangled as the door opened. Merlin braced himself for the worst, but it was only the burly guard with their food. He sneered at them as he handed them each a bowl and a cup before he went to stand by the open door with the other guards.

Merlin thought quickly, this was the only chance he was going to get. His eyes glowed and something clanged harshly in the corridor. The guards all turned to look and he seized the moment. He threw his cup at Fiara and watched as the water flew out. It formed an arc in the air before it fell, splashing over her.

She stared at him shocked. Arthur did the same. "What on earth are you doing Merlin?" he asked. Merlin shushed him and pointed back at Fiara. She was smiling now, she shimmered as she stood up and held out a hand towards the guards as they turned back from the distraction. Their blank expressions turned to horror when they noticed her. They began to gurgle and choke before they fell to the ground, hands at their throats. Merlin and Arthur couldn't move as they looked on as water began to pour out of the guards mouths and noses; Fiara was smiling unpleasantly as she watched them drown. She beckoned with a hand and the water streamed towards her. She lifted her head with pleasure as it whirled around her body before vanishing.

Arthur hurried to close his mouth, he couldn't remember when it had fallen open. "Uh, don't be offended or anything, but what just happened?"

Fiara ignored him, "Thank you Merlin, that was just what I needed. Now, shall we?" she asked as she gestured towards the open door. They carefully followed her out, stepping over the shrivelled remains that lay in the doorway. She led the way through the corridors as they walked quickly behind her.

"What did you do Merlin?" hissed Arthur.

"I just remembered that they said that we couldn't give her our food and water, so I figured that it wouldn't hurt to find out why."

"She could kill us at any moment! Look what she did to them!"

"She is helping us escape, you could be a little more grateful."

Arthur was stopped from replying as they came across two more guards. They stared for a moment before turning to run away, they only managed two steps before they fell to the ground. Arthur looked away and saw an open storeroom to the side. He entered and saw their belongings spread out on a low table. They quickly scooped everything up and Fiara poked her head around the door. "Are you coming or not?" she said. When she saw the looks they were giving her, she laughed. "Don't look so scared, I'm not going to hurt you! I owe you both my life, come on, I know how you can get out of here without alerting anyone." She darted away and they ran to follow her. She led them through the twisting maze of corridors until they eventually came out at the stables. While she dealt with the men that were there, Merlin and Arthur saddled their horses. They walked over to the doors before they were stopped by Fiara. Merlin noticed for the first time that her eyes were a stormy grey that seemed to shift to a pale blue before becoming grey again. He shook his head, it must be a trick of the light that made it look as if they were glowing slightly.

"Where are you going?" she asked. "If you go out the main doors you'll have to fight off all of her guards before you even get close to the gate."

"Well, you could just drown them all and save us the trouble," grumbled Arthur. She smiled wickedly at them.

"I don't think you want to see what I want to do to them," she said. "Besides, if you go out a back way, you'll have a better chance of making it back to your kingdom in one piece." She went over to a bare patch of wall and pushed one of the wooden panels. A hidden door swung back, it revealed a dark passage that was wide enough to fit the horses.

"Could you give us a little light to see with?" asked Arthur.

Fiara grinned and shook her head, "Fire isn't really my thing."

"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Merlin when she didn't move to follow them.

She shook her head again, "I don't think that would be a good idea, I know too much. Don't worry about me, I'll make sure you have enough time to get away. Now, go, they're going to notice you're gone soon." As she spoke, a great bell rang out. Arthur nodded to her in thanks before he led his horse into the darkness. Merlin went to follow him, but was stopped when he felt a presence in his mind.

"_Thank you, Emrys. I won't forget this_."

He looked around, but she was gone, running back up the stairs that they had come from.

"Come on Merlin!" called Arthur, "We haven't got all day!"

They walked along in the darkness until they saw a distant light. They hurried towards it and saw that it was daylight outside. They quickly ran under the cover of the trees in case any sentries were looking their way before they stopped and looked back at the slender figure running along the wall. Arthur and Merlin watched as the figure climbed up on the wall as a great funnel of fire raced towards her from another figure in the distance. Fiara jumped before the fire could reach her, Merlin heard a furious shout from Morgause as the girl plummeted towards the ground.

They watched, shocked, as she seemed to dissolve into water droplets before she hit the ground. A great thunder clap rang out and it began to pour with rain. They hurried to mount their horses and rode away, the rain washing their tracks away.

…

When they made it back to Camelot, Merlin hurried to order a warm bath and some hot food for Arthur. They were both soaked to the bone, the King had ordered that they go and get dry before they explained to him why they had been missing for so long.

Dry, warm and fed, Arthur led the way to his father's rooms where they found Uther and Gaius conversing quietly. Arthur quickly explained all that had happened as Uther sat with a grim expression on his face. Once he had finished, Uther looked at Gaius. "What was the creature that they saw?"

Gaius leant forwards, hands clasped in front of him. "I believe Sire, that she was some kind of water spirit. It would certainly explain the, uh, unusual way in which the guards were killed."

Uther gave Arthur a stern glare. "Then you were very lucky that you escaped with your life."

Arthur nodded and Uther dismissed them. As Merlin and Gaius returned to their rooms, Gaius gave Merlin a sideways glance. "How your secret is still safe is beyond my knowing. You should count yourself lucky that whoever that girl was, she didn't want to tell Morgause, or Arthur, what you can do."

Merlin grinned and held his arms out, "What can I say, I'm a lucky person!" Gaius chuckled in response.

…

"Arthur is back in Camelot," Morgana hissed.

"I'm sorry sister, he escaped me."

"How?" Morgana shrieked her voice echoing through the forest, "How does he do it?"

"Calm yourself sister, all is not lost."

"How can you say that? Not only did he and his servant escape, you lost the water elemental! What are you going to do without it?"

"There are still three more left Morgana, do not worry. I am sure they will have their uses before long." She smiled thinly and Morgana smirked in reply.

...

Merlin's thoughts were plagued by nightmares, he was so cold, the Dorocha had drained him of everything. He felt his body touch the ground as Lancelot laid him down. The water seemed to be calling to him, he stretched out a hand and felt warmth flow up it.

"_Hello Emrys_," he heard a voice say in his head. "_It is time for me to repay my debt to you. These spirits will heal you of the Dorocha's touch, just relax and all will be well_."

"_Thank you_," he said. He felt her smile before he fell into sleep.


	2. Earth

**Earth**

"Thank you sire for seeing me," the man said as he bowed. Arthur waved his hand for the man to continue. "Our crops are all failing sire, no one knows why. We woke up in the morning and they were all dead and rotting."

Arthur looked concerned, "Are you the only ones that have had this happen?"

"No sire, there have been many villages that have been affected."

Arthur beckoned to one of his knights who brought a map over to the table and laid it out. The man pointed to the map and showed them where the damage had occurred so far. When he was finished, Arthur was grim. Gaius was the one who voiced everyone's thoughts. "It's coming towards us, whatever it is that's causing this." The map showed a clear line headed towards Camelot from Essetir, Cenred's kingdom.

"Thank you for bringing us this news, we will make sure you and the other villages have sufficient supplies." The man bowed in reply and was escorted out of the room. Arthur looked at his councillors. "I'll ride out and see the crops myself, I'll see what I can do."

Gaius nodded, "Take some men with you, we don't know what this is."

"I can move quicker if it's just me, I think speed will be more important, it will be here in tomorrow at this rate. Besides, if I need help, there will be the knights who are taking supplies out to the villages."

"Very well," Gaius said. "But I do not need to remind you to be careful, this doesn't seem like a normal crop failure."

"Do you think sorcery is involved Gaius?"

Gaius nodded, "I can't be sure without seeing it myself, but it does seem to be the most likely explanation."

"Very well. Come on Merlin," he said as he walked briskly out of the room, Merlin following behind.

"Get some supplies together," Arthur ordered, "we ride in an hour. Just grab the essentials."

"Do you have any idea what this is?" asked Merlin breathlessly as he struggled to keep up with the King.

"No, I haven't a clue."

"Have you killed any more unicorns recently?" asked Merlin jokingly. Arthur fixed him with a cold look before motioning Merlin to go off and get what they needed.

…

They rode swiftly from Camelot. They only stopped for a short rest and to water the horses at midday before they continued onwards. They reached the latest village to be struck as the sun was beginning to set. Merlin was amazed, every field of crops that they could see was completely destroyed. Decomposing muck was all that was left, the smell of rot filled the air.

Arthur talked to the villages while Merlin cared for the horses. When he had finished, he walked over to where the headman was frantically yapping at Arthur. "What are we going to do? Everything is gone! We won't be able to feed ourselves, let alone our animals and still pay our taxes!"

"Calm down sir, we are well aware of the situation and I promise that emergency supplies are on their way. I'm here to see what I can do and what might be causing this. Do any of you know anything? Did you see or hear anything when this happened?"

They shook their heads in unison. Arthur sighed and turned to Merlin. "This only happened about half an hour before we got here. Whatever is causing it has to be around somewhere." Merlin nodded and went to fetch the horses again. Arthur had finished reassuring the villagers and was walking towards him when a voice called out to him.

"Your Majesty, wait!" Arthur turned and saw a middle-aged woman hurrying towards him, towing a small girl behind her. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Eira says she saw someone out in the fields," the woman explained. She nudged the little girl forwards. She stared up at Arthur with big eyes until he crouched down to her level.

"Yes Eira? What did you see?"

She took her thumb out of her mouth and gave him a matter of fact look. "Gwilym was chasing me through the fields, he thought I broke his favourite toy, but I didn't, I promise. I was looking around for him when I saw a lady walking through the fields. She was crying. And all the plants behind her were dying."

"What did you do then Eira?"

"I ran away, I didn't want the plants to touch me." She put her thumb back in her mouth and clutched her mother's dress.

"Where did you see her?" Eira pointed and Arthur smiled at her. "Thank you very much Eira, you've been very helpful." He stood up and stretched. "Let's go Merlin."

They quickly rode into the fields in the direction Eira had pointed before they turned and headed towards Camelot. It was not long before Arthur held up his hand. They both stopped and listened, in the distance was the sound of someone sobbing. They looked around and saw a woman walking away through the fields. Arthur broke into a gallop and began to chase after her, Merlin followed behind him. She turned, staring at them like a startled deer. She began to run but she wasn't fast enough to outrun them. Arthur cut in front of her and she jumped back before tripping and falling down. Arthur jumped off his horse, drew his sword and pointed it at the prone woman. Merlin ran up to stand beside him. She had rich brown hair that fell in waves, her green eyes were guarded as she watched them.

"Who are you?" asked Arthur menacingly.

"My name is Saera," she said, fear in her voice.

"Why are you destroying our crops?"

"She's forcing me to, I have no choice."

"There's always a choice," Arthur said unforgivingly. "Who is making you do this?"

She shuddered but didn't answer. Merlin noticed that she was very pale, she didn't look well at all.

"Is it Morgana?" Arthur asked. She hesitated before nodding.

"What does she want you to do?"

She waved her arm around her. "I thought it was obvious, she wants me to ruin the harvest in Camelot so that you don't have enough food for..." she halted abruptly.

"For what?" he asked darkly.

Saera seemed to struggle with herself for a moment. "I can't say. She doesn't want you to be strong enough for what she's planning."

"And you can't tell us what that is," he said flatly. She nodded, eyes wide. "So why are you doing what she wants you to?"

"I have to, she has a hold over me."

"What is it?"

There was silence as she stared at him thoughtfully, weighing up her options. Finally, she answered him. "She has my heart."

"Your heart," he said incredulously. "And you expect me to believe you?"

"All trees have a heart and she has mine. I have to do what she says."

"What? Are you telling me that you are a tree?"

She just stared at him steadily in response. Merlin coughed, "Ah Arthur, she might be, um, well," he paused.

"Yes? What is she?" Arthur was growing impatient.

"A tree spirit?" Merlin winced a little as he said it. He knew Arthur wasn't going to believe him.

"I'm an earth elemental, actually," Saera said wryly.

"And what exactly is that?"

"If it's easier to think of me as a tree spirit, then you can."

"Don't you remember when we were trapped at Morgause's castle? With the water spirit?" asked Merlin, "I think she's the kind of the same thing, just with earthy things instead of water."

"What, she's going to kill us by putting dirt in our mouths?" said Arthur sarcastically.

"You met a water spirit?" Saera interrupted.

"Yes," said Merlin.

"Do you know her name?"

"It was Fiara or something, I think."

Saera looked shocked, "Fiara, are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, why?" asked Merlin.

"Do you know her?" asked Arthur.

She nodded, "She's my sister, I didn't know she had been caught as well. This isn't good." She stood up slowly.

"Are you alright?" Merlin asked, concerned.

"No, not really. Morgana isn't stupid, she's made it so that if I even think of refusing her orders, the weaker I'll get. If I don't finish what she wants, then things will be even worse than this."

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, "I have invested a lot of myself into the forests of these areas, if I die, then they will too. Not only that, but all the crops in this kingdom and many others will fail."

"Is that why you agreed to this?" asked Merlin. Saera nodded in response. "It seemed better to kill off a few crops now, that I would hopefully be able to fix later, then to risk half of Albion falling into ruin."

"I can't let you continue this," Arthur said sternly.

She gave him a crooked smile. "Don't worry yourself Majesty, I'm not going to. I need to go and have a little chat to Morgana."

Arthur was taken aback, "Why?"

"If she has my other sisters too, I need to help them. I need my heart to do that, it has most of my power."

"But, isn't that going against her orders? I thought you said you couldn't do that."

"I can't, not by myself. I'll need your help."

Arthur thought for a moment. "Why should we help you?"

"Because your kingdom will suffer if you don't. Please, you two are the only ones who could do it, I'm begging you."

"Very well. If you promise to fix all the damage you've caused, we'll help you."

She smiled in reply.

…

Arthur and Merlin arrived back in Camelot late in the morning the next day. They went quickly to the physician's rooms and entered without knocking, surprising Gaius.

"Sire, you are back already?"

"Yes, but we need your help," said Arthur. He gave a hurried explanation of what had happened yesterday evening. Gaius sat back in his chair, stunned.

"An earth elemental? Are you sure?"

"That's what she said she was."

"Hmm, then you have been very lucky. Not many people would even come close to seeing such a creature."

"So, do you know how we can free this 'heart' that she was talking about?"

"Morgana would have it well guarded, it's going to be very difficult to find out where she is keeping it however."

"Saera said that she could get Morgana to show her where it was. She told us to meet her in the Forest of Ascetir tomorrow evening with a way to free her and she would deal with Morgana."

Gaius thought for a long time. He suddenly sat up and looked at Merlin. "How did you free that water elemental Merlin?"

"I threw a cup of water at her, why?"

Gaius chuckled, "You must be a genius at heart Merlin."

Arthur began to laugh, "Merlin, a genius? Pull the other one Gaius."

Merlin crossed his arms, "Thanks, I'm glad to see you both have so much faith in me. So, why am I a genius?"

"Because it wasn't just the water that freed her, it was the cup," explained Gaius.

"How does that make any sense?" asked Arthur.

"In the Old Religion, you could summon different elements with different objects. If you wanted water, then you would use a cup or a chalice."

"And how would you summon earth?" Merlin asked.

"I believe a sanctified stone was the method that the druids would use."

"Right, so, where do we get one of those?" questioned Arthur.

"That I don't know. I thought that most of the objects of that nature were destroyed in the Great Purge."

Arthur threw his hands up in frustration, "Then what are we supposed to do now?"

Merlin cleared his throat, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but do you still have the Crystal of Neahtid locked away here? Would that count as a sanctified stone?"

Gaius and Arthur were stunned. Arthur looked at Gaius, "It's not just me is it? Did you also hear a good idea that came out of Merlin's mouth?"

Gaius covered his smile with a hand. "Yes, the Crystal would do the trick quite nicely, I hope anyway."

"What do we do with it? Throw it at the elemental?" asked Arthur.

"If you place the Crystal near her heart, it will hopefully release it from whatever spell Morgana has placed on it."

"Well, what are we waiting for then? Let's get going." Arthur stood and left the room. Gaius caught Merlin's arm before he could follow. "You will have to do it Merlin. I don't think it will be as simple as that."

Merlin nodded his understanding before he rushed off after Arthur.

…

They rode into the village they had visited the previous day at nightfall. The people there swarmed around the King, there was so much noise and confusion that it wasn't until Arthur and Merlin were invited to stay with the headman and his family for the night that they found out why. The headman explained that all the crops had become healthy again, just as quickly as they had died the day before.

After a good night's sleep, they departed early the next morning. Once they were out of site of the village, Merlin sighed with relief.

"What are you huffing about Merlin?"

"I'm just glad we're out of that now. I've seen all sorts of monsters and things while I've been with you Arthur, but nothing is more terrifying then a village of people that won't stop saying thank you!"

"Come on Merlin, it wasn't that bad!"

"Easy for you to say, you've had people fawning all over you your whole life."

"No I haven't."

"Yes you have, you're the King! Everyone is always trying to kiss your boots as you walk by."

"I don't know what kind of people you've been talking to Merlin, but no one has ever tried to kiss my boots."

"Really? You probably never noticed because they were actually trying to kiss another part of your anatomy."

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"You know what I mean!"

"I most certainly do not. And if you don't watch out, I'll have you kissing my boots for the next week!"

"As long as I'm not having to kiss you anywhere else," muttered Merlin.

Arthur shot him a glare as they rode on.

…

Saera reached the forest with a sigh of relief. She had been working all day to heal the land she had hurt, it hadn't been easy. Morgana's spell was starting to take it's toll, she barely had the strength to move. She sat down by a great oak and lent back. She hoped that they weren't far away, she didn't want to think about what would happen if this failed.

…

Merlin and Arthur reached the Forest of Ascetir late in the afternoon. "Where are we supposed to find her? This forest is huge, she could be anywhere." Arthur complained.

Merlin focused on the forest, his magic showed him the path that she had taken. "I don't think she would have gone far into the forest," he explained, "she would have waited at the edge here for us." He began to walk into the forest before Arthur could ask too many questions. They didn't go far before they heard a scream. Arthur made motions for Merlin to follow him quietly and they carefully walked forward. They hid behind a fallen log as they watched Morgana walking towards Saera.

"I've had an interesting day, my dear Saera," said Morgana. "Here I was, riding through Camelot, expecting to see death and destruction. But I found none of that. According to the people I talked to, Arthur is a miracle worker who managed to restore all of this year's harvest. Do you think you could explain that to me?"

Saera shook her head. Morgana smiled vindictively and Saera arched her back and screamed in pain. "Do you want to try again? Or are you forgetting that I am the one that holds this?" She withdrew a small lump of wood from her pocket, it glowed with a soft light.

Saera's head came up, she didn't take her eyes of of the wood. "Give that to me," she said slowly.

Morgana threw her head back and laughed. "Give it to you? Why would I do that? I am having much more fun draining the life from you bit by bit." Saera snarled and lunged at Morgana, who held her hand out. Saera went flying backwards and slammed into a tree before falling to the hard ground.

"Tell me what Arthur said to you," demanded Morgana.

Saera weakily shook her head. "Never."

"Never? I think you will change your mind very soon." Morgana placed the heart down on the ground as she spoke the words of a spell. Flames roared up, surrounding the small knot of wood. Saera screamed again, but didn't stop. Arthur ran out to attack Morgana. She was only surprised for a moment. "Hello dear brother, I hope you don't think you can actually defeat me with your little sword."

Arthur snarled and ran at her, sword out. Morgana laughed and drew a blade from the air which she used to block his attack.

Merlin snuck out with the Crystal in his hand. He kept an eye on Arthur and Morgana, neither was paying any attention to anything but their opponent. Merlin held out a hand and extinguished the flames that were covering Saera's heart, it was charred on the outside. Merlin hoped he was not to late. He placed the Crystal on the ground next to the heart and murmured the first spell that came to his mind. He couldn't remember ever learning it, but it seemed to do the trick. The wood began to glow again, softly at first before it grew in strength.

"Thank you Merlin," said Saera beside him. He started, he hadn't noticed her there. She reached out and took the heart, it sank into her chest and she smiled.

Morgana and Arthur were still locked in battle. Morgana slid her blade around Arthur's and knocked it from his hand. She thrust her blade, but found that she had not embedded it in Arthur, but a thick tree trunk. She gasped and backed away, only to run into another tree. She screamed in frustration and terror.

Arthur heard a sound above him and looked up. He just managed to dive out of the way before he was burnt by the stream of fire that Aithusa was breathing on the trees. He turned and saw Merlin and Saera, he followed them as they ran into the forest.

They eventually slowed and stopped. Arthur sighed in relief, "Well, that was interesting to say the least."

Saera gave a soft laugh, "Thank you, both of you. You have done me a great service." In the dimming light, Merlin could see that her eyes had a strange glow to them, it reminded him of sunlight streaming through the canopy in a deep forest.

"Now we just have to work out how to get out of here without Morgana finding us."

"That won't be a problem, she and her dragon have fled. I can show you how to leave here safely." Saera led them back through the forest until they found where they had left their horses. Arthur looked up at the night sky. "I suppose we're going to have to camp out here tonight, we won't get far in the dark."

"You will be safe here for the night," said Saera. "Is there anything else I can do to thank you?"

"I'm happy as long as my people have their crops back," said Arthur.

She bowed her head. "You truly are a great King Arthur Pendragon. It has been an honour to meet you. You and your people will be well fed for a long time, I promise." She nodded to Merlin as she faded into the forest. "_And you can be guaranteed of my help, should you ever need it Emrys_," Merlin heard her say. He nodded back to her before settling down to start a fire.

…

Daegal ran through the dark forest, searching for the herbs. The light was poor, he could barely see his own hand let alone find any of the plants he needed. He cried out in frustration, he couldn't let Merlin die, he was the only one who had ever cared, even a little.

"Daegal," called a woman's voice. He looked up, tears pricking at his eyes. A woman with wild brown hair was walking towards him. He backed away from her, but she held out a hand. In it, he could see the herbs he had been looking for.

"It's alright, here, I think you wanted these," she said softly. He carefully reached out a hand and took the herbs. "They will heal Merlin, have no fear. Now come, I will show you the way back."

Stunned, he walked after her in a daze. When he saw Merlin, he raced over to him. His breathing was ragged but at least he was still alive. He quickly ground the herbs up to make the tincture. Once he had given it to Merlin, he sat back with a sigh. He watched as the woman, forgotten until now, approached Merlin. She laid a hand on his head and was still for a moment. She drew back and smiled at Daegal.

"You've done well, he will be fine in time. Tell him that I said hello when he wakes. You should rest awhile, you look tired."

Daegal found his eyes closing. He fought it as the woman faded away, then he gave into sleep's call.

...

**A quick update, I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter up, but it should hopefully be soon. Thanks to pinkygirl123, Sheila90 and MoonlitIvy for favouriting this story and to caldera32, Method in Madness, MerlinFan1996, Dragons-Sister and boppychoco for following it. Also, a great big thank you to my reviewers, Method in Madness, MerlinFan1996 and Mika271170, you guys made my day!. I hope this chapter answers your question MerlinFan1996 :) . I'm really glad to hear that you all liked it and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! Thanks again to everyone who has read it so far, I hope you all liked it too!**


	3. Air

**Air**

"Remind me again why we rode all this way?" Merlin whined.

"Come on Merlin, it wasn't that far!" laughed Gwaine. "What's the problem, saddle sores flaring up again?"

Merlin scowled at him while he shifted in his saddle. Arthur looked back and smirked at his expression. "Stop complaining Merlin, we'll be back soon."

"Camelot is still a day's ride away!"

"And the more you whinge, the longer it will seem," said Gwaine, "just relax and enjoy the ride, it's a lovely day today We've got whatever it was that Gwen wanted, the sun is shining, the flowers are out and everything is right in the world."

"Ooh, pulling out the fancy language Gwaine? Got a special lady waiting for you back in Camelot?" joked Percival.

"Wouldn't you like to know Percy."

"Why did we have to go all the way to Caerleon just to get some perfume?"

"Because, Merlin, some of us are romantics. And since it is our anniversary in a week, I wanted to get her something extra special."

"Really? Your first thought for a special anniversary gift was perfume?"

"Fine, Gwen may have suggested, but the fact that I actually went and got it is what makes it special."

"How could you think that riding for days to get a tiny bottle of smelly muck was romantic?" grumbled Merlin.

"And when I give it to her, I'll make sure I tell her that you think she smells like smelly muck." Arthur kicked his horse forward, laughing at the horrified look on Merlin's face.

Suddenly, a band of men emerged from the trees beside them. They ran at them, weapons drawn and screaming war cries. Arthur wheeled his horse around as he and his knights drew their own swords and began to fight. A large man ran at Merlin, grinning wildly. Merlin threw him back with magic as he hurried to get out of the way. He looked around for Arthur, but he needn't of worried. The fight was almost over, they had quickly dispatched the attackers.

"Who do you think sent them?" Gwaine said as he caught his breath.

"What's wrong Gwaine? Spending too much time with the ladies and not on the training field?" Percival said, slapping Gwaine on the back. Gwaine pulled a face at Percival in response.

Arthur knelt down beside one of the men."I think they were just bandits, they couldn't of been mercenaries with those fighting skills."

"There weapons aren't well made either," said Sir Leon in disgust.

"How did they know we were here?" asked Merlin.

"They've probably been ambushing whoever went by, they're just common thieves," Arthur dismissed Merlin's concerns. "Let's keep going," he called to his knights.

"Wait," called Gwaine, "what's that?" He pointed through the trees that the bandits had come from. Merlin turned to see what he was pointing at, a vague white shape could be seen through the trees. Arthur led the way through the underbrush, before he stopped in surprise. Merlin, tripping on the exposed tree roots, staggered to his side. He was amazed to see a young girl, bound tightly to the tree behind her. She had started struggling when she saw them approaching. Arthur carefully crouched down, hands held up so that she could see they were empty.

"We're not going to hurt you, calm down. Here, let me untie you," he said gently.

She held completely still as he did, watching every movement like a hawk. When he had finished, she shuffled away from him. By this time, the rest of the knights had joined them.

"Are you alright?" asked Arthur. She didn't reply, her eyes flicked between the men standing in front of her.

"What is your name?" asked Merlin. She stared at him for a moment before she hung her head. "I don't know."

"You don't know your name?" asked Arthur disbelievingly. She shook her head. "Right, so do you know where you are from, or how you got here?"

"No," she said forlornly.

"What's the last thing you do remember then?"

"I don't really know, I just woke up and I was here. There were men, hiding over by those trees that you came from. I heard lots of noise and then you came."

Arthur stood up and exchanged several looks with his knights. "We can't just leave her here," said Gwaine.

"We have no idea who she is, she doesn't even know, we can't take her to Camelot!" argued Leon.

"She's just a girl, she can't do any harm," retorted Gwaine.

"That's exactly what you always say Gwaine! When are you going to start thinking with your head, Morgana's a girl and look at all the trouble she causes!" Leon exclaimed.

Merlin spoke up, "Maybe Gaius will be able to help her with her memory, maybe she's just got a bump on the head or something when those bandits had her."

Arthur pondered silently for a minute. He looked down at the girl, "We can take you with us to Camelot if you wish. But first, are you working for Morgana?"

She looked at him, puzzled. "I don't know who that is."

"Do you mean any harm to us or to Camelot?" She shook her head, eyes wide as she gazed at him.

"You can't just trust her on that!" said Leon.

"I can't just leave her here, especially if she has no memories at all. If she isn't dead before nightfall, she will just be prey for any other bandits that may be around, do you want that on your conscience?"

Sir Leon looked at Arthur defiantly for a moment before he sighed and shook his head. "Well then, I, as the King of Camelot, say that she can come with us. And if she decides to betray us after we've helped her, then that will be on her conscience." He gave her a steady look. She nodded at him and he held out a hand to help her up. She took it and rose quickly to her feet.

"Can you ride a horse?" asked Arthur.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

He sighed and looked at Merlin. "She can ride with you, Merlin, you're only small." The other knights laughed as Merlin sneered at them. They led the girl back and helped her mount the horse in front of Merlin. Arthur gave a signal and they rode on. They didn't see the lady in the black cloak that smirked while she watched them leave.

...

"Do you know what we can call you? Since you can't remember your name?" Merlin asked as they picked their way along the muddy path.

She shrugged, "No, I can't think of any names."

He thought for a moment, "How about Alis? Or Katrin? Branwen?"

"I like the last one. Branwen sounds nice."

"Well, that can be your new name then." They fell into silence once more until Branwen spoke again, "Where are we going?"

"To Camelot."

"Oh. Where is that?"

"Umm, do you know where we are now?" She shook her head. "Well, there's no point trying to explain it, I can show you on a map when we get there."

"What's a map?"

"It's a piece of paper that shows what the land looks like."

She looked puzzled, "Like what a bird would see?"

"Yes, that's a good way of putting it."

"I don't mean to be rude, but who are you?"

"That's not rude. I'm Merlin. I'm Arthur's servant, he's the one with the blonde hair up there. He's the King of Camelot."

"Who are all these other people?"

"These are the Knights of the Round Table." He pointed to each of them and gave their names.

Gwaine rode up beside them, "What Merlin here forgot to mention was that I am the most dashing and charming knight here."

She smiled as he took her hand and kissed it. Sir Leon scowled at them as he rode past. "Doesn't he like me?" she asked.

"Don't worry about him, he's just very protective of the King," explained Gwaine. "He doesn't like anyone much until he's known them for a long time. Besides, he's jealous of my good looks."

Merlin grinned at Gwaine, "And that you're a better swordsman."

"That too. Anyway, it was nice to meet you Branwen." He kicked his horse forward to ride with Percival.

Merlin was amazed at how quickly the time passed, it didn't seem long before they arrived at Camelot. Arthur came over once they had both dismounted. "Merlin, take her up to see Gaius, see if he can help her. Once you've done that, get her settled in." He looked at Branwen, "If it's alright with you, you can work as a maid here. You'll have a place to stay then and you can make yourself useful."

She nodded her head, "Thank you, your Majesty." He smiled and quickly ran up the stairs. Merlin frowned, he still hadn't worked out a way to tell Arthur about Gwen yet. He knew he had to do it, and soon, but he didn't want to hurt Arthur.

"So, can we go?" asked Branwen, interrupting his thoughts.

"Of course." He led the way through the castle and knocked on Gaius' door.

"Enter," they heard him call. He glanced up from the book he was pouring over. "Ah, Merlin, I was wondering when you would be back. And who is this?"

"This is Branwen." Merlin quickly explained how they had found her. "We were hoping that you might be able to help."

"I can't promise anything, but I can have a try. Can you come sit over here my dear?" She sat down carefully. "I just want to see if you have any sore spots on your head, is that alright?" Branwen nodded and he began to touch her scalp. Merlin watched as the old physician moved her hair. He had initially thought that it was so fair that it looked white, but it now seemed to be completely devoid of any colour.

"Hmm," pondered Gaius, "there doesn't seem to be any injuries here. I'm afraid you will just have to wait and see if your memory comes back."

She looked at him sadly, "There's nothing you can do?"

"I'm sorry, there isn't anything."

She watched put of the corner of her eye as Merlin gave Gaius a questioning look, and then a pleading one when the old man shook his head. Gaius sighed. "I have to ask, can you do magic?" She looked at him, confused, and shrugged. "I don't know if Merlin told you, but any form of magic is outlawed in Camelot, if you use magic then you will be sentenced to die."

She was confused, "But why?"

"That's just the law. So, can you use magic?"

"I don't know, I don't know if I've ever tried."

"Well, as long as you don't do any here, you will be fine. Camelot is a good place to be, you will be safe here." She nodded.

Merlin stood up, "I had better show you the women's quarters then, they'll take care of you. But if you need us for anything, you know where to find us."

"Here, Merlin, can you take this to Lord Aled? His arthritis is flaring up."

"What is it?" asked Merlin.

"A mixture of willowbark and angelica."

"Don't you get problems with the willowbark?" asked Branwen. "Why not use rosemary instead?"

They were stunned. "Do you know much about medicine?" asked Gaius.

Branwen looked confused, "I'm not sure, I can't remember learning that. I think someone told me it once, but I can't..." she stopped, frustrated.

"In that case, why don't you come work here tomorrow? Maybe you will remember more things."

"That would be nice, thank you," she said gratefully.

…

"That was foolish Gwen, if any of those men had survived, then Arthur would know where your allegiances really lie."

"I had to try, I'm getting desperate. I can't stand him!"

"Don't fret, it has all worked out. They took the girl with them to Camelot."

"Yes, I saw her from the window. Who is she."

"An air elemental. Rather a good choice for a spy I believe, after all, they do so love knowledge," she said mockingly.

"Do you need me to do anything to help her along?"

"Try to make sure she is at Arthur's meetings, don't let her know about your association with me however. She doesn't even know what role she will play," she said with a sly smirk which the Queen returned.

…

Branwen was quickly absorbed into castle life. She spent her mornings working with Gaius and her afternoons helping Merlin with his chores. Gaius delighted in her, she learnt quickly and she had even taught him a few new tricks.

She was helping Merlin change the sheets in the royal bedchamber when Gwen entered the room. She smiled sweetly at Branwen. "Why, hello there. I didn't know Merlin had an apprentice." Branwen curtsied in reply.

"She's just helping me out with these sheets," explained Merlin.

"Surely you do more than change sheets all day," Gwen said laughingly.

"I help Gaius in the mornings your Majesty."

"You must be a smart little thing then! Do you have any other chores here?"

"I just follow Merlin's orders your Majesty."

"You know, I need a new maid, my last one was a bit of a disappointment. Do you think you would be up to the task?"

Branwen was surprised, "Really your Majesty? But I wouldn't know enough to be your maid."

"Nonsense! I can show you what to do, I was a lady's maid myself once. And a bright thing like you will be sure to pick it up quickly."

Branwen curtsied again, "Thank you, I'm honoured."

Gwen smiled sweetly at Merlin, who gave her a stony look in reply. "You can organise it can't you Merlin?" He nodded his head curtly and she swept out of the room.

"Are you alright?" Branwen asked him.

"Be careful around her." She looked at him, concerned, but he just shook his head. "I can't really explain it, just, watch yourself." She nodded and they went back to their work.

…

Branwen attended Gwen to a council meeting the next morning. Arthur raised an eyebrow but didn't comment further. He addressed the men seated around him. "I plan that we change the merchants routes into Camelot. Too many have been attacked on the North road and after my recent trip to Caerleon, Queen Annis has kindly agreed to allow them to travel along a different path." He pointed to the map spread out in front of him to indicate the new route. "Also, I've been made aware that Morgana is planning an attack on the village of Hanlyte. I need you, Sir Leon, to command the defence of this town." Sir Leon nodded his agreement.

Gwen couldn't resist a small smile as Arthur continued to talk about his latest plans, Morgana would be very pleased with this windfall.

…

Later that night, Branwen was carrying a pile of the Queen's dressers down a darkened corridor. She heard a noise behind her, but when she turned around, she couldn't see anyone there. She walked a little quicker, the torch light seemed to flicker menacingly as she passed. She turned a corner and came face to face with a dark-haired woman. Branwen gave a small shriek and tried to run, only to find herself pulled into a small storage room.

The woman smiled wickedly. "Hello there Amalis. I've been expecting you."

"I'm sorry, you must have the wrong person, my name is Branwen, I think you're mistaken," she babbled.

"You're always chatting away, aren't you. Why don't you stop boring me and tell me what Arthur is planning?"

Branwen gave a gasp, "I...I don't know what you mean."

"Fine. Let's do this the hard way, shall we?" the woman said as she advanced on her.

…

Merlin was trotting down the stairs in search of a late night snack when he saw Branwen huddled in an alcove.

"Branwen? What are you doing up so late?" he asked. She stared up at him, terror in her eyes as she squeaked and tried to back away.

"What's wrong?"

She trembled as he crouched down in front of her. "I don't know who you are, please, don't hurt me any more."

"What are you talking about, it's me, Merlin. I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't answer, she just kept staring at him as if expecting him to hit her at any moment. He paused before he asked, "Do you know where you are?" She shook her head. "Do you remember your name at least?" She gave a small shrug and looked down. He stood up and held out his hand, "Come on, I think you need to come with me." When she didn't take his hand, he sighed, "I promise, I won't hurt you."

He watched her pale eyes dart around before she tentatively took the offered hand. She followed him to Gaius' room, flinching away from every shadow.

Once Gaius had finished talking to her, he sent her off to bed, telling her that her memory might improve by the morning. When Merlin returned from escorting her, Gaius looked grave. "It does appear as though she has lost her memory again, she doesn't remember anything apart from finding herself in that corridor."

"How did this happen?"

"I have no idea. But I would be very careful if I were you. I think you should tell Arthur what has happened, it seems very coincidental that this has happened after she was present at a confidential meeting."

Merlin nodded thoughtfully as he gazed into the fire.

…

The news arrived a few days later that a merchant caravan had been destroyed by bandits along the new route. Arthur was alone with Merlin when Gwaine brought them the tidings. Once he had thanked Gwaine and sent him away, he held his head in his hands.

"How could I have been so stupid? I should have listened to Leon, that girl is working for Morgana."

"You couldn't have known that. And I don't think she is willingly working for Morgana, she was scared of everything when I found her the other night."

"It doesn't matter, the fact is she told Morgana of our plans, it's treason whether it was willing or not."

There was a knock at the door and Gaius entered, carrying a large book. "Sire, I believe I may have found something of interest."

"I hope it's good news, I've had my fill of bad news for today."

Gaius laid the book out in front of the King. "I was trying to find a reason for Branwen's memory loss when I came across this. I think she might be an air elemental, it could explain a lot of things."

"Uh, Gaius, I don't know if you've noticed but this picture clearly shows that air spirits have wings. I don't remember seeing the girl flying around the place."

"If you read this passage here, it's an account of a time when a sorcerer captured an air elemental. Apparently, he removed it's wings..." he stopped as Arthur pulled a face. "Yes, I know, he wasn't a particularly nice sorcerer. Anyway, he found that without it's wings, the spirit lost all of it's memories."

"Are you saying that Morgana has done that to this girl?"

"It seems to make sense. She has many of the characteristics I would associate with such creatures and it wouldn't be the first time Morgana has tried such a trick."

"So, saying that this girl is such a spirit, what do we do now? I don't want to execute someone who doesn't even remember her treason."

"Maybe we could turn it around," said Merlin. When Arthur looked skeptical, Merlin held up a hand. "Wait, hear me out. What if you pretended as if everything was normal. Have another meeting, make some new plans and let her hear them. Then we wait for Morgana to show up and catch her instead."

"You know Merlin, that's not a bad idea," Arthur said. "Don't go getting big-headed though, you'll probably do something utterly stupid in a moment to make up for it."

"Who, me Sire?" Merlin said dramatically as he backed away with his hands in the air. He tripped over a stool and tumbled head-over-heels as Gaius and Arthur laughed loudly.

…

Gwen was reteaching Branwen how she liked her hair done when Arthur told her that he was holding an emergency council meeting. She hid the glee that was brimming within her, Morgana had put the whole of Camelot on edge. It would not be long now before she would be the sole ruler of Camelot.

They hurried to the hall and she took her place beside Arthur. Her skinned crawled and she tried not to shiver in disgust. Branwen stood behind her as Arthur began to inform the men seated around the table of what had happened. Gwen barely paid attention, she would have to let Morgana know that she should come tonight to visit their spy. She was amazed Arthur hadn't caught on yet, she had never known such a trusting fool. She could only hope that his belief in people would end in his downfall.

…

"Branwen, could you go down to the kitchens? I'm feeling a little peckish, do you think you could see if they have any of these delicious little cakes?"

"Of course your Majesty," she replied with a curtsy. She scurried out of the room and Gwen smiled.

Branwen was headed down a dark corridor when she had a strange feeling of déjà vu. She stopped near a doorway, trying to work out why she was suddenly terrified. Her breath left as her as she found herself being pulled into a deserted room.

"What a coincidence that I should find you hear Amalis. Why it feels like it we've done this before." The black-haired woman smirked. "Oh wait, we have."

"What do you want?"

"Please don't make me have to have this conversation with you every time, it's so tedious. I'm not a patient woman." She pulled a delicate chain out of her pocket and dangled in front of the small woman's nose. "Do you know what this is? Oh, forgive me, of course you don't."

Branwen was transfixed, she couldn't take her eyes off the tiny wings that were attached to the chain. She heard the woman mutter something and she screamed, it felt like her entire being was slowly being torn apart.

The door flew open and Morgana spun around in shock. She saw Arthur and sneered, "Arthur. What an unpleasant surprise." She flung out a hand and soared backwards out of the doorway, his armour clanged as he hit the ground. His men rushed into the room and Morgana laughed, eyes glowing as she attacked them.

Merlin crept behind her, he could see the chain dangling from her left hand, forgotten for the moment. A sword clattered to the ground near his hand. He didn't stop to think, he picked it up and swung it at the chain. Morgana jerked back in shock as the wings fell to the ground. They were caught by Branwen and Merlin watched as they disappeared before reappearing on her back.

Morgana shrieked out a spell and she vanished into the air. Slowly, the knights picked themselves up from where they had fallen, taking stock of their new battle wounds. Merlin felt a touch on his arm and he turned to see Branwen. She smiled at him before giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said. She bowed to Arthur as he came in the door and he nodded back. They all looked on as she too vanished and a great breeze blew around them before it exited the room.

"Arthur," Merlin called as the King went to follow his knights out of the room. He walked back, curiosity on his face.

"Yes Merlin? What is it?"

"There's something I have to tell you. About Gwen."

…

Merlin heard them ride away, but he couldn't feel glad. Another person had died for this cause, another life lost. He shivered in the cool night breeze, the ache from his wound spreading throughout his body. He tried to call for Kilgharrah, but he barely had the strength to speak above a whisper. Despair swept through him, but he persevered. As he slipped into unconsciousness, he felt a gentle wind blow across his face.

Kilhgarrah looked up as the breeze brought Merlin's call to him. "Thank you Amalis," he said. A slight girl stepped out of the air and smiled. He stretched out his wings stiffly and began to fly, the wind speeding him towards the young Dragonlord.

…

**I hope you all like this chapter, it's a bit longer because I wanted more conversation to try and fit in with the theme of this chapter. Thanks to Myth. for following the story and to That-is-illogical for favouriting it. To my reviewers, MoonlitIvy, Method in Madness, Hullo and That-is-illogical all I can say is thank you so much for the lovely reviews and I hope this chapter lives up to your expectations! One more chapter to go, it might be a little longer before I update, I haven't got it quite how I want it yet. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Fire

**Fire**

"Sire, we have to act! The Saxons are advancing further into the Kingdom, the towns in her way do not stand a chance!" argued Sir Leon.

"There have been reports that they have some kind of new weapon, the refugees say that fire rains down from the sky, destroying all it touches," added Mordred.

"You are right, we have to act. Morgana appears to be pushing her troops from the other side of the kingdom, they are hoping to stretch out our own forces to leave us defenceless," said Arthur. "The biggest danger is this strange weapon the Saxons have. If we can stop that, then the towns defenders will have a better chance."

"But how are we supposed to stop it when we don't even know what it is?" asked Gwaine.

"I think I might know what the weapon is," said Gaius. They all turned to look at him and Arthur indicated that he should continue. "I'm not sure if you've noticed Arthur, but you have encountered three different elementals in the past, one of them just recently."

"You think that this might be another one?"

"It would make sense, the only one you haven't seen yet is a fire spirit." Arthur nodded slowly. "That would explain the fire. How do we know that it isn't that dragon of hers?"

"I doubt Morgana would let it go far from her, let alone entrust its safety to Saxons. No, I think she is getting desperate, she is trying to use everything she has at her disposal."

"How are we supposed to stop it?"

"That I don't know. To be honest, I'm not even sure how she's controlling it. Fire elementals are not known for their fondness of humans, I can't imagine what kind of hold she must have on it."

"Maybe it is working with her then."

"I doubt it, fire elementals value valour and loyalty, Morgana isn't exactly known for those traits. You could always try asking the elementals you met before, they might know of a way to help."

"And how do we do that?" Arthur asked, frustration seeping into his voice.

"I am sure they are aware of the situation. I get the feeling that if they want to help, then they will come to you."

…

Merlin was packing his spare clothes when he stopped. He reached under his bed and lifted the floorboard. He gazed at the Sidhe staff that he had taken. Something told him to bring it with him, but he knew he couldn't, there was no where that he could hide it from the others. Inspiration struck and he quickly leafed through his book of magic, looking for the spell he had once seen. Grinning, he cast the spell and watched with glee as the staff shrank until it was smaller than his arm. He stuffed it roughly into his bag and left the room.

…

They rode hard all day, they were possessed by a sense of urgency. They were eventually forced to stop close to a small brook as the night closed in. Merlin lit a fire and they talked and joked well into the night.

Merlin felt a cool breeze on the back of his neck, he looked around quickly but there was nothing there.

"What's wrong Merlin? Getting jumpy already?" laughed Sir Leon.

Gwaine jumped to his feet, reaching for his sword as the trees swayed about them. "I thought I just saw something, there in the trees."

"Calm down Gwaine, it's just the wind making the trees move," said Arthur.

"No, I was sure I saw a woman over there," insisted Gwaine. Arthur looked around before he got to his feet as well.

"Come out, whoever you are," he called out to the night. Everything was still.

"You do not need to fear us Arthur," came a voice. The knights watched, amazed, as three woman materialised out of the mist that was rising about them. Merlin recognised them, they were the three spirits they had helped before. Sir Leon stepped forward, sword raised, "Who are you?"

The woman with the brown hair was the first to step forwards. "I am Saera, these are my sisters Fiara and Amalis," she answered, pointing to each of the other women. "Hello Arthur, it is good to see you. Why don't we all sit down and talk?" She gestured to the ground and the men sat, not taking their eyes off the beautiful women before them. The faired hair one, Fiara, began to talk.

"We heard that you were going to save our sister, Ariat."

Arthur gave her a careful glance, "Is that the one who is destroying the towns on our borders?"

Fiara nodded, "Yes. It's not her fault though, I'm sure she is being forced to do it."

"What are we supposed to do though? We can't fight her and win."

"You managed to free each of us, we are sure you can do the same for our older sister," said Amalis, glancing at Merlin.

"Surely you know how to do that," said Arthur.

Saera shook her head, "We can't even tell where she is, she is invisible to us while she is in Morgana's grasp. But if you can find her, we will too. Once we know more, we may be able to help you further."

"If I may," said Gwaine, "how did Morgana trap you all in the first place?"

Fiara grimaced. "It was not Morgana, but her sister, Morgause. She found each of our weaknesses and used them against us."

"What is your sister's weakness then?" asked Arthur.

They looked troubled, "We don't know," admitted Amalis, her wings fluttering slightly. "Ariat doesn't spend much of her time in this realm, she gets, um, frustrated, by you humans and your ways. We don't know how Morgause would have even found her, she isn't the type to respond to just any old summons. It was not an easy thing that she did, even we are still amazed that she succeeded."

"You must free Ariat quickly," interrupted Saera. "Otherwise, I'd hate to think what she will do."

"If she hates humans, we won't stand much of a chance," said Mordred.

"The Knights of the Round Table are famed for their bravery. You are all loyal and courageous. I think she will like you," Fiara said with a grin. "Who knows, you might even manage to change her opinion of you people." She and her sisters stood up to leave.

"Wait," Arthur said. "Before you go, I just want to know, what are you all?"

"I thought you already knew that," Saera said, smiling slightly.

"You're not just regular spirits though are you?"

Fiara gave him a mysterious smile, "Maybe some other time, I don't think you're ready to here the answer yet."

"We will speed you on your journey in the morning, rest and relax for now, you will need your strength," Amalis said. The men watched on as they seemed to melt back into the mist. The need for sleep fell upon them and it wasn't long before they were all snoring softly.

…

Dark clouds greeted them the next morning, but luckily, it did not rain. Their horses ran with a new found speed, it was not long before they came to the latest town under attack by the Saxons. As they approached, they could smell burning wood and hear the clashing of metal and the screams of battle from within the town.

"I want all of the knights to ride into the town from the north, it looks like the Saxons are attacking from the south. Merlin and I will ride around behind the Saxons and see if we can find whatever her name was."

The men began to protest but Arthur silenced them with a look. "Those people need you more than I do, if it's just the two of us, there's less chance of us being noticed. Now, go."

Sir Leon nodded and he led the others towards the besieged town. Arthur and Merlin picketed their horses and set off on foot. They crept towards the Saxon camp, there was some kind of a commotion happening.

"Sir! She's refusing to carry out our orders!" said a thickset man as he approached another large man. He beckoned and two more men brought a struggling redhead towards him. They forced her to her knees and she glared at him angrily.

"You were given clear orders. You were told to destroy that town."

"You told me to destroy the walls, you said nothing about the town as a whole," she retorted.

"I'm telling you to destroy it now, so get to it," he snarled.

When she didn't move he removed a knobbled stick that had been tucked in his belt. "Do you want me to use this? You know the deal, do what we say or Morgana will make things unpleasant for your darling sisters."

Her lips curled and he smirked back at her. "I must say, they didn't have nearly as much fight in them as you do. That little one, the water girl, was fun to play with, she broke easily."

The woman leapt at him, her hands clawing the air wildly while the two men tried to restrain her. Before Merlin could stop him, Arthur had left their hiding place and was walking steadily towards them.

"That's funny, I met her sisters too. They didn't seem broken to me," he said.

The Saxon guards stared. The redhead, Ariat, Merlin remembered, whirled around to face Arthur. "What did you do to them?" she hissed.

"I helped free them," Arthur said simply.

Ariat turned slowly, giving the leader a vindictive smile, "Is that so?"

He cursed and called for his men. They came running in force, Arthur drew his sword and ran to engage them in battle. Merlin carefully sidled closer and removed the staff he had hidden in his sleeve. He pointed it at the stick the Saxon leader was still holding and fired a bolt of light at it. It burst into glowing particles and Ariat gave a triumphant cry. The wind picked up violently, knocking the Saxons off their feet. Merlin watched in amazement as the large Saxon burst into flame, screaming as he burned. His men faltered and began to run away into the forest. Merlin could hear terrible screams that halted abruptly.

Arthur wiped his sweaty hair out of his eyes as he looked around for Merlin. "Hiding from the fighting again Merlin? I thought you were getting better at contributing to these kinds of things."

Merlin didn't respond, he was too busy watching the four elementals greet each other enthusiastically. After a short, hushed conversation, they walked over to the King and his servant.

"It appears I owe you two everything," Ariat said.

Arthur bowed, "It was nothing, I was just trying to protect my people."

"Speaking of which, I think we should give them a hand. What do you think?" she asked her sisters. They nodded before vanishing.

Arthur sighed and found a spot by a tree to sit down. "I know I shouldn't like it so much, but I am grateful that magic is being used to help people in this case. I don't think I'm up for another fight just yet."

"What's wrong Arthur? Starting to get old?" joked Merlin.

Arthur smiled wryly, "It certainly feels like it some days. Though, if you dare to tell any of my knights that, I will hang you by your ears from the tallest tower of Camelot."

Merlin swallowed nervously, "The thought never crossed my mind," he lied.

"Good."

Silence fell as they waited. Eventually, they heard the sounds of people approaching. Arthur rose warily, sword ready, until they heard the familiar noise that Gwaine created wherever he went.

"I tell you, I was _this_ close to killing that man, I didn't need to be saved by a girl."

"He was about to cut your throat."

"I would have thought of something," Gwaine protested as they came towards Arthur and Merlin.

"Before or after you were dead?" asked Ariat sweetly.

Arthur interrupted before Gwaine could reply, "We should go before more Saxons get here."

Saera stepped forward, leading all of their horses. "You might want these," she said in reply to their stunned expressions.

"Aren't you coming with us?" asked Merlin.

"We'll follow behind," said Amalis. Arthur nodded and they began the long ride back to Camelot.

…

They did not go far before it grew too dark to ride. They cared for their horses and set up a small camp. Merlin was struggling to light the damp wood when he felt a warm presence behind him. He looked around to see Ariat, her golden eyes sparkling brightly.

"Here, let me," she said. A fire sprung up and she sighed happily. "My children will always be happy to help you in your endeavours, Merlin," she said softly.

"Your children?" asked Arthur from across the fire.

She smiled at him, "Of course. I can't be present at every single fire that is lit, I wouldn't have any time to look after the important things now would I?"

"So, your like, a goddess or something?" asked Gwaine in astonishment.

They laughed. "You don't need to insult us that much!" said Saera.

"We were around long before your gods were," explained Fiara.

"We were the first of our kind, and it was from us that the other spirits were born," Amalis said.

"I think that's enough, they don't look like they can handle much more," Ariat said jokingly. "You will be safe here tonight and on your journey home, that much we can promise. We cannot get too involved, there are rules after all." She looked at Arthur. "Thank you. I owe you greatly for what you have done."

He shook his head, "Really, it was nothing."

"It was more than just the act of freeing me, I am sorry to say that Morgana, and her sister before her, have used my skills to harm you and your people many times over the years. I will repay that debt," she said, her expression serious. "You also freed my younger sisters, and for that I will be eternally thankful. You are the once and future king and it has been an honour to meet you."

Arthur didn't know what to say. He bowed his head and his men followed suit. Merlin heard a voice in his mind, "_Thank you Emrys, I will never forget what you have done. We will meet again._" He bowed his head as well in reply. When they raised their heads, they found that all four women had gone.

…

Arthur stood in front of his men as the torchlight flickered about them. His eyes were drawn to the flames as they danced, courage filling his heart.

"Tonight," he paused as a feeling of calm spread within him. "We do battle."

As he spoke, he could see that his knights felt the same way, he watched as they held their heads higher, their backs straighter. Their eyes glimmered in the fire light.

He drew his sword. "For the love of Camelot!" Pride filled him, he could never have asked for more loyal and brave men to follow him into war.

…

Merlin strode into the light, magic swirled around and within him. He had never felt so powerful, he knew that no one would stand in his way now.

"You have come far Emrys," came a voice. He saw four women approach him. "We have a gift for you," said Fiara.

Saera held out a white staff to him, he accepted it with a bow.

"A disguise might be needed for this fight," said Amalis. She waved a hand and Merlin felt himself age, but the spell did not drain him of his strength as it had before, if anything, he felt even more alive.

"We will be with you in the final battle, now it is time to go forth and reveal yourself to the world Emrys," Ariat said.

He smiled at them and held up the staff. The rocks blocking his path exploded violently outwards and he walked out of the crystal cave to meet his destiny.

...

**Thank you all for reading, this was a lot of fun to write and I hope you all enjoyed the story. Mika271170 and Hullo, thank you for the reviews and thanks to AlaDi for adding this to their favourites list. I just wanted to put in a short appendix of some of the references I put in this story for interests sake. **

**Ariat – means 'gold-fire'. Fire, the first element of creation, is summoned by the wand and personifies courage, creativity and loyalty.**

**Amalis – means 'beautiful-breeze'. Air is summoned by the sword and personifies learning, speed and communication. (Branwen also means beautiful raven, I thought it would be an apt extra name for an air spirit).**

**Fiara – means 'rain-woman'. Water is summoned by the cup and personifies emotions, sensitivity and intuition.**

**Saera – means 'wood-singer'. Earth is the last element of creation and is summoned by a sanctified stone. It personifies thrift, practicality and abundance.**


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